Taylor Davidson · London, England

What I do when I'm in London
by Taylor Davidson · 10 Jun 2014

Traveling to London always feels like coming home.

Here’s why: I went to high school for nearly four years outside London, and after graduating from university, went back a few years later to work for a startup in central London. A good part of my “formative” years were spent in England in British culture, and to this day it’s still a part of me.

Everytime I return to London, I crave the simple things: a pint, a run in the park, a walk in the neighborhood, a Saturday on a high street, a paper and a chat. I’ve been to all the tourist sights over the years, and always pop into a museum when I visit, but for me, London is about the simple things that remind you of home.

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What I like to do in London:

  • London is a difficult city to find a place to stay. Famously small, cramped, expensive hotel rooms, many different neighborhoods scattered over the city, and so many different options. I used to live in South Kensington in the western part of Central London, but I never stay there when I travel. I prefer to stay in Marylebone and around, in central London, close to transport and the neighborhoods that I like to frequent. I like the Mandeville Hotel and the Dorset Square Hotel, but there are many, many options.
  • Run in the parks. I like to run through Regent’s Park and up to the top of Primrose Hill, to look over the city, and do loops on the paths past people enjoying their days. I usually run through Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James Park, all brilliant parks in the center of London.
  • Walk. The walk from Westminster past the London Eye to the Tate Modern, and across the Millenium Bridge and up to St. Paul’s, is one of my favorites. I also love wandering through the mews in central London. East London, Shoreditch, the Silicon Roundabout, have all become far more popular since I last lived in London, so it’s an area I’m less familiar with, but it’s where I’m exploring these days.
  • Pints. A pint in the afternoon is a standard part of my London day. I grew up with the classic British pub, but the rise of the gastropub and the changing in the laws regarding closing times has changed the pub scene a bit.